Israelites or, Hebrew Israelites are groups of African-Americans in the United States who claim to be descendants of ancient Israelites. Hebrew Israelites who are totally different than African Hebrew Israelites, or Beta Jews that say that they are Alpha Israelites and that they are not Africans at all, but were sold into slavery from Africa (Religious Tolerance). Black Hebrews are often referred to as African Hebrew Israelites And are the largest organized group of African-American expatriates living anywhere in the world. The African Hebrew Israelites follow Ben Ammi Ben Israel, who they believe received a vision in 1966 in which he was directed to return African-American descendants of the ancient Israelites to the Promised Land, and to establish the long-awaited Kingdom of God on earth(Landing).
Many of Black Hebrew Israelites are well trained to see the kaleidoscope of color in the Bible(Hyamson.) If you read the Bible through a colorblind lens, you will miss the richness of God’s redemptive plan and appear to be brainwashed by this cult, knowing the black presence in the Bible creates a common ground and enhances mutual dialogues, especially when one must challenge other points of interpretation(Hyamson). They use the Old and New Testament to support their teachings, especially the five books of Moses including Genesis,Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
The community of the Hebrew Israelites vision invokes Israel’s prophetic mandate to be a “light unto the nations.”(Religious Tolerance). The Hebrews take this charge seriously, incorporating a respect for what they see as the “sacred Truth” into every aspect of their culture. As a part of their religious practices and beliefs many Hebrew Israelites practiced polygyny (Landing.)Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife at a time. Polygamy was practiced by many among Hebrew Israelites until 1990(Landing). The community defended this practice because it accorded with biblical tradition. The Israelites keep the Jewish Sabbath and many other Jewish customs including circumcision, dietary laws, and the observance of certain Jewish holidays and festivals like Yom Kippur and Passover (Religious Tolerance). Of all the many practices Israelites would join a Hebrew Israelite movement known as the Commandment Keepers, The Law Keepers, House of Judah, and the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem (Hyamson). While Some people join the commandment keepers some stand on the street corners of major cities and condemn people for their false beliefs while using bad and aggressive language. The Hebrew Israelites are very combative and generally do not want to listen when their views are challenged(Bruder).
Due to the many different communties of the Hebrews Israelites unique demographic conditions there are some disagreements people have in communities. Although Hebrew Israelites allow polygamy they are against birth control. Hebrew Israelites have religious beliefs that are different from modern Jewish communities in Israel(Bruder). In Israel or other communities leaders decide who will marry and whether their marriage will be permitted which declares a marriage in religious communities. For the marriage to be complete annulments are needed first, and they would start to perform wedding ceremonies.
Holy Days prescribed in the Bible, the Hebrews have incorporated a New World Passover into their calendar The Hebrew Israelites New World Passover commemorates their exodus from the United States in 1967, This is an event in which this small community celebrates their group leaving America, where they felt captive in the 1960s, and their arrival on the shores of Israel (Religious Tolerance.) Each May, hundreds of international guests join in two full days of feasting, music and family-oriented fun at a event known as Shavuot (Hyamson). Another major important holiday on the calendar for Hebrew Israelites would be the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks observations feature the annual “Dance for the Land”(Religious Tolerance). “Dance for the Land” features a lot of sound and celebrations of joy at being back in their ancestral land.
Ben Ami Ben-Israel was the founder and spiritual leader of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem. Originally named Ben Carter, Ben-Israel was looked at as a messianic figure in the community(Landing). Ben Ammi claimed that he and the Black Hebrews was from the original Liberian settlement were not Jews but Hebrews, the true descendants of the ancient Israelites. Ben Ammi originally believed that Moses and Abraham were black, and that the Black Hebrews were the only "true" inheritors of Israel In an interview, Ben Ammi described his status as a prophet and spiritual leader While rejecting the modern religious forms of both Judaism and Christianity, he maintained the divine inspiration of the Tanakh, and perceived Yeshua as one of an ongoing line of 'messiahs' sent by God to keep the people of Israel in the ways of righteousness According to the Hebrew Israelite community, in 1966, Ben Ammi received a vision from the angel Gabriel, who told him to lead African-Americans to Israel. In the vision, he claimed he was instructed to: "Lead the children of Israel among African Americans to the promised land, and establish the long-awaited Kingdom of God. In any case, Ben Ammi was one of four members of the Abeta Hebrew Israel Cultural Center to be chosen to travel to Liberia to explore the possibility of settlement.
Hebrew Israelites can compare to many other religions who may rejects certains thoughts and or theories about different thoughts. The community of the Hebrew Israelites vision invokes Israel’s prophetic mandate to be a “light unto the nations.”(Religious Tolerance). The Hebrews take this charge seriously, incorporating a respect for what they see as the “sacred Truth” into every aspect of their culture. As a part of their religious practices and beliefs many Hebrew Israelites practiced polygyny (Landing.)Polygamy is the practice of having more than one wife at a time. Polygamy was practiced by many among Hebrew Israelites until 1990(Landing). The community defended this practice because it accorded with biblical tradition. The Israelites keep the Jewish Sabbath and many other Jewish customs including circumcision, dietary laws, and the observance of certain Jewish holidays and festivals like Yom Kippur and Passover (Religious Tolerance.) Holy Days prescribed in the Bible, the Hebrews have incorporated a New World Passover into their calendar The Hebrew Israelites New World Passover commemorates their exodus from the United States in 1967, This is an event in which this small community celebrates their group leaving America, where they felt captive in the 1960s, and their arrival on the shores of Israel (Religious Tolerance.) Each May, hundreds of international guests join in two full days of feasting, music and family-oriented fun at a event known as Shavuot (Hyamson). Another major important holiday on the calendar for Hebrew Israelites would be the Feast of Weeks. The Feast of Weeks observations feature the annual “Dance for the Land”(Religious Tolerance). “Dance for the Land” features a lot of sound and celebrations of joy at being back in their ancestral land. Due to the many different communties of the Hebrews Israelites unique demographic conditions there are some disagreements people have in communities. Although Hebrew Israelites allow polygamy they are against birth control. Hebrew Israelites have religious beliefs that are different from modern Jewish communities in Israel(Bruder). In Israel or other communities leaders decide who will marry and whether their marriage will be permitted which declares a marriage in religious communities. For the marriage to be complete annulments are needed first, and they would start to perform wedding ceremonies.